dehumanize

[ dee-hyoo-muh-nahyzor, often, -yoo- ]

verb (used with object)

, de·hu·man·ized, de·hu·man·iz·ing.

1. to regard, represent, or treat (a person or group) as less than human:

   Society still has a tendency to devalue and dehumanize those with disabilities and to suppress their voices.

2. to deprive of human qualities or attributes; divest of individuality:

   Conformity dehumanized him.

dehumanize

/ diːˈhjuːməˌnaɪz /

verb

1. to deprive of human qualities
2. to render mechanical, artificial, or routine

Derived Forms

• deˌhumaniˈzation, noun

Other Words From

• de·hu·man·i·za·tion [dee-hyoo-m, uh, -nahy-, zey, -sh, uh, n, -yoo-], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dehumanize¹

First recorded in 1810–20; de- + humanize

Example Sentences

The fluffy dresses and elaborate dances are about romanticizing a dehumanizing view of women, in which they are male property, whose only value is in being a sex object.

From Salon

The word “denigrates Native American women and dehumanizes them,” Ramos said in a statement announcing the name changes.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump defined much of his campaign by claiming, in dehumanizing and racist terms, that deporting them would improve the economy and reduce crime.

From Salon

As Anne Applebaum has pointed out, Trump has frequently used dehumanizing language such as “vermin,” a style and approach that is reminiscent of Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini.

From Los Angeles Times

“When political leaders, influencers, and those with a large social platform choose language that dehumanizes communities, families get hurt, and hate crimes rise.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• abase
• degrade